as in patient
showing kindness and forgiveness instead of harshness or cruelty especially to someone under one's authority or control
When our English teacher caught us cheating, we prayed he would be merciful in deciding our punishment.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of merciful
The Celtics met a merciful end at Madison Square Garden last night, 119-81, and now have a lot to figure out:
Tatum will miss a consequential period in his career.
—
Sam Settleman, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Among vocational and merciful acts of service, Pope Francis would wash and kiss the feet of men, women and children, including those of prison inmates, during an annual Holy Thursday ritual.
—Gabriele Regalbuto, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2025
The Celtics’ first-round slugfest came to a merciful end Tuesday night at TD Garden.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2025
To the relief of everybody, weeks of rumors/subterfuge/smokescreens/innuendo come to a merciful end.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for merciful
Sam Settleman, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Among vocational and merciful acts of service, Pope Francis would wash and kiss the feet of men, women and children, including those of prison inmates, during an annual Holy Thursday ritual.
—Gabriele Regalbuto, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2025
The Celtics’ first-round slugfest came to a merciful end Tuesday night at TD Garden.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2025
To the relief of everybody, weeks of rumors/subterfuge/smokescreens/innuendo come to a merciful end.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for merciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merciful
Adjective
-
Their data set was also developed using images from a diverse patient population, unlike older models built on data primarily from racially homogenous populations.—
Adaira Landry,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
-
Doctors have a legal obligation to not talk about things like patient interactions, diagnosis, and treatments.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
Seven, a unity in seeking a sound, fair, and benevolent immigration reform is prompted by economic interest as well.—
Timothy Cardinal Dolan,
New York Daily News,
2 July 2025
-
In 2005, a benevolent dust devil blew dust off the Spirit rover's solar panels, increasing its power levels.—
Unnati Ashar,
Space.com,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
Companies like Google and Salesforce offer extensive parental leave programs, recognizing that supporting employees during one of life’s most significant milestones is not only compassionate but smart business.—
Will Fan,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
That means unlearning the language that perpetuates harm and stereotypes, and being more compassionate and humane across the board.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
But even with these musicians and Boyd’s sympathetic production, the sessions were fraught.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
5 July 2025
-
The president has vacillated in recent months between deporting all individuals who are in the country illegally and being sympathetic to farmers and hospitality executives who rely on such migrant workers for labor.—
Brett Samuels,
The Hill,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
The man was gifted, gracious, often generous and seldom mean-spirited.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
10 July 2025
-
But goodness gracious, the Rockies are only (14-36) under Schaeffer after going 7-33 under Black.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
Dortmund was scheduled for a lunchtime and an afternoon kickoff in Cincinnati during the group stage, where the recorded temperatures approached 100F, while temperatures for the Real Madrid clash in New Jersey were a little kinder but still hot at pitch level.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
-
But use kind humor, not nasty or deprecating humor.—
Davia Temin,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
Adjective
-
The kindly matriarch wins over Amélie by feeding her white chocolate, and thus a first human connection is made.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
5 July 2025
-
Those with kindly outlooks might believe that people comfy with that kind of damage might not understand its impact.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
Hand wash with gentle soap and cold water, avoiding soaking, and use a mesh bag if machine washing is necessary.—
Gabi De la Rosa,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
-
The sunrise alarm clock gradually brightens your room with a simulated sunrise for a gentle wake-up.—
Nora Colomer
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Merciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merciful. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share